symaira's reviews
120 reviews

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Toni Morrison does it again, writing a masterpiece. Our three girls' hardships and journeys are tough, and it left me wanting to hug them. Pecola's desire for blue eyes was heartbreaking to read. This was just everything I expected. The conversation around black loathing and the idealization of white beauty was interesting to read, especially through the eyes of children who are so impressionable and naive. I recommend this book, and I will be rereading this. 

The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.

i just wasn’t super invested anymore and i was never in the mood to pick it up and when i did i saw it as a chore. the concept of it and the entire series is really interesting i just felt checked out from the characters and story after the first book 

Sula by Toni Morrison

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

5.0

an amazing read i literally wanted to cry at the end. toni morrison i think will always be a 5 star read for me and i love that. sula and nel i really wished the best for them. seeing their friendship develop over the years made for a gripping read and always had me wondering what else they would face together. yeah i enjoyed this book so much. it was a slow start (due to my schedule) but i sat down in one reading to finish the latter half of it and it was a great experience. sula and nel, nel and sula <3

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

slow-paced

4.5

i liked conversations with friends more which I didn't think I would be saying. sally though knows how to write and again I found myself wanting to underline so many lines because they were just beautifully written. I wanna say my favorite character was Simon but deep down I know its Alice. At times the pacing of the book felt really slow, and towards the end it kinda dragged for me. but also not because or two women finally connect in person so seeing that transpire was gripping and interesting. all in all it wasn't a bad read and it definitely kept me company when I was ill. 

Silence: A Thirteenth-Century French Romance by Heldris de Cornualles

3.0

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

I honestly kinda liked this better than normal people. having read two Rooney books, I can see that she writes within a certain mold. it was easy to pick up topics or just character habits are shown in normal people and conversations with friends. this was an interesting read, as I've never read any novel that really explored polyamory (and that's on me), but I'm definitely open to reading more. This was pretty complex, and I liked that it was. I enjoyed that we honestly saw all 4 characters' feelings and thoughts on the relationships everyone was carrying on with one another. having said that, though, I ain't a fan of the cheating trope, and that's just me. again, it was a nice read. kinda wish I read it over the summer to fit the vibes when they were in France but its fineeeeeee 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

this book took me so long to finish I'm not sure why. But I am in love with these characters and this world. tolstoy had a way with words that moved me so much. the story of Anna and the commentary on so many things made for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I love this book and I recommend it to literally everyone I will be watching the movie to truly put the characters to rest, as the movie is also an obsession of mine. 

Passing by Nella Larsen

dark reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

This book was so good I loved every second of it. The concept of passing and people transgressing the natural order of race and racism was informative, and I had fun pondering it. The relationship between Irene and Clare and how they saw race and how their race made them interact with the world made for an interesting story that I highly recommend. 

Salvation Army by Abdellah Taïa

dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.0

Honestly this was an informative read that was for a french class I'm in right now. The incest was not fun, but it didn't last for very long and honestly spoke volumes when it came to how the author viewed love in every relationship he took part in. 

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

3.0

This book was actually an acid trip. but the more I sat with it, I can confidently say that I liked this book. it was really really dark though so watch trigger warnings. this was just a silly read for me and I took notes on my kindle which made it more fun. do I highly recommend this book? no. but do I recommend it yeah sure if you're into dark academic mysteries